Regenerative furnace.



No. 783.429. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905. S. GROH.

REGENBRATIVE FURNAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.18. 1904.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

$4.5 (liter/mayb No. 783,429. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905. s. GROH.

RBGBNBRATIVE PURNAG'E.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.18.1904A 5 SHBETS-SHBET 2.

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271.5 @Houma-i 'NTTED STATES Patented. February 28, 1905.

PATENT Orifice.

SAMUEL GROH, OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO SADIE-A. GROH,

i OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.

REGENERATIVE FURNACE- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patentv No. 783,429, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed January 18, 1904. Serial No. 189,471.

To L7/Z whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, SAMUEL GRo'H, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Alexandria and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Regenerative Furnaces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear.l and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to furnaces of the type known as regenerativa in which conduits alternately serve to conduct gas and air from the sources of supply to the point of mixture and combustion and to conduct the waste products to the Stack, whereby the gas and air mixture is delivered to the furnace in a highly-heated condition, the alternate utilization of the conduits for the purposes stated being accomplished by the use of valves usually of the butterfly type.

In the operation of existing regenerative furnaces the desired efficiency is dependent upon the degree of temperature of the mixed gas and air at the point of combustion, and considerable difficulty is experienced in bringing the mixture to the proper high degree of heat by reason of material inequalities in temperature of the gas and air previous to mixture, the gas being highly heated in the producer beforeits entry in the conduit, whereas the air admitted to the conduit from the atmosphere has a relative low temperature, practically cold, andmust absorb from the heated conduit more heat units than are taken up by the preliminarily-heated gas. The gas, like other heated fluids, has the tendency to seek the hottest medium-namely', the checkerwork forming a part of the conduit-leaving the-practically cold air to find its way to and through the cooler checker-work, by which it receives an insuliicient degree of heat to obtain the maximum efficiency in the operation of the furnace.

An object of my invention is to so control the passage of the products of combustion through the conduits as to subject the checkerwork, through which the air subsequently passes, to the action of the major portion of the heat units of said products, whereby said air receives in its passage a degree of' heat approximating that of the gas at the point of mixture.

The improved construction by which the above object is attained is set forth in detail in the followingdescription, in connection with which reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the improvement in its preferred form of embodiment, it being understood that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention defined by the concluding claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a horizontal sectional view of a regenerative furnace equipped with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one form of controlling-valve constituting my improvement. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the butterfly-valve casing forming a part of the gas-conduit, showing my improvement. Fig. I is aview similar to Fig. 3 with certain of the parts in a different position. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modification. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing a further modification. Fig. 7 is a similar view showing a still further modification. Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 8 8 of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the usual valve-casing forming a part of thegas-conduit and in which is a butteriy-valve 2, and 3 is a similar casing forming a part of' the air-conduit and which is equipped with a similar butterfly-valve 8. Assuming the valve 2 to be in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, gas entering the casing at its upper end passes through the conduit i to the gas checker-work 5, and the air-valve being similarly positioned the air passes through the conduit 6 to the air checker-work 6, it being understood that thc checker-work, both for the gas and air, is highly heated by the previous utilization thereof as thepassage for the products of combustion to the stack. The air and gas being' mixed and burned, the products of combustion find their outlet through similar checker-work for the gas and air at the other side of the furnace, which checker-work is numbered 7 and 8, and from thence by gas and air conduits 9 and 1() to the stack. At certain intervals'the position of the valves is reversed and gas and air is supplied through the conduits 9 and 10 and the heated checker-work 7 and 8, the other conduits and checker-work serving as the passage for the products ofcombustion.

Beneath the air and gas valve casings is a fiue 11, leading to the stack. In existing constructions of furnaces the casings are both open to the flue 11, and the products of combustion having a free outlet pass by the gasconduit after subjecting the gas checker-work to the action of the major portion of its heat units. rl`his peculiar action is due to the material difference of temperature of the gas and air checker-work, the difference arising from the cooling eifect of the cold air upon the air checker work and the tendency, as above stated, of the products of combustion to seek the hottest mediumfnamel y, the gas checkerwork. Instead, therefore, ofthe cooler body, which is the air, being brought into contact with the hotter medium it receives heat from the cooler medium, this being due to the free outlet provided for the products of combustion through the gas-conduit.

My invention is designed to control the passage of the products of combustion in a inanner to direct the hottest products through the air checker-work, whereby the temperature of the air subsequently admitted is raised to the proper degree to obtain the maximum efficiency of the furnace. To effect this result, I provide a valve 12 for the open lower end 13 of the gas-casing 1, which lower end is extended into the flue 11, as shown. The valve consists of a bottom 14 and sides 15 ofthe proper height to receive a quantity of water or sand wherewith to seal the open lower end of the casing in the raised position of the valve. The purpose of the valve is to exclude from the casing the waste gases and other products of combustion and to prevent the passage of gas from the casing into the flue 11 and stack, except the small quantity which leaks past the butterfly-valve. The employment of water in lieu of sand for the sealing medium is preferred owing to the cooling effect which it has on the casing and valve. The rear side of the valve is extended to provide a gate 16, which in thelowered position of thevalve closes or partly y closes that portion of the flue 11 between the air and gas casings. The valve may be provided, as shown, with a frame 12', by which it is attached to raising and lowering means of any suitable construction.

In operation when the valve is raised, as shown in Fig. 4, the outlet for the products of combustion through the gas-conduit is closed and the products are compelled to pass to the stack through the air cliecker-work. If for any reason the passage through the air-conduit is to be closed, the valve is lowered to bring the gate across the flue 11, and in this position of the valve the gas-conduit serves as the only passage for the products. By adjusting the valve to a position intermediate of its raised and lowered conditions both the air and gas conduits are in communication with the iiue, and the products are divided between the two conduits, the division being equal or otherwise, dependent upon the position of the valve.

Another difculty experienced in the operation of existing furnaces is the tendency of the gas leaking past the buttery-valve to ignite below the latter and destroy it or impair its action. I overcome this by providing a gas-vent in the lower end of one side of` the casing, which may be formed by cutting away the side, as indicated at 17, or by providing a series of holes 18 18. It will be noted that the series of holes is arranged in a curved line and that the alternate single opening' is of arch form. By this arrangement the area of the vent is Varied according to demand by adjusting the valve 12. The valve, in addition to the function above described, serves to shield the casing and butterfly-valve from the direct action of the heat of thel products of combustion.

Referring' now to Fig. which shows a.

modification of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1-to 4, the gas-valve casing 1 is provided with an extension in the form of an elbow 19, which projects into the flue 11 and opens in the direction of the stack 20. At the opening 21 of said elbow is a gate-valve 22, slidable in guides 23 24, pinion-and-rack-bar means 25 being employed to raise and lower the valve to control said opening for a purpose similar to that described with reference to the valve 12. The valve has acounterbalance-weight 26 and is provided with an arched opening 27 or a curved series of holes for the escape of gas leaking' past the butterfly-valve 2. rfhe air-valve casing 3 is similarly provided with an elbow extension 28 and a counterbalanced slidable gate-valve 29, and in operation the gate-valves 22 and 29 are adjusted to control the elbow-openings, and thereby regulate the passage of the waste gases in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth. In this modification the gate-valves 22 and 29 perform the functions of the two gate-carrying valvesnamely, of closing or partially closing the gas-valve casing and opening or partially opening the airvalve casing, dependent upon requirements.

Fig. 6 illustrates a construction similar to that shown in Fig. 5, with the difference that in lieu ofthe metal elbow 19 I provide below the valve-casing a conduit or fiue 30, of masonry, the valve 22 being vertically movable across the horizontal portion of said conduit or iiue and entering at its lower end a recess 31, whereby to regulate the area of the opening 27 for the purpose above stated. The

IOO

valve, which is counterbalanced and movable preferably'through the medium of the rackand -pinion means shown, performs a function similar to that described in connection with the other types of controlling-valves.

In Fig. 7 a valve 32 of the disk type is employed to control the conduit or flue 30, the valve closing against a seat provided at the outlet 33 of said conduit or iiue and having a stem 34, counterweighted and operated similarly to the stem of valve 22. In the valve is a gas-vent 35, the function of which is the same as the opening 27 of valve 22.

It will be noted that in all of the constructions illustrated and-above described a conduit or flue is interposed between the valvecasing and the stack-flue 11 and that said conduit or flue is provided with a valve by which it is controlled. My invention, therefore, in its broadest sense consists of a conduit or flue between the valve-casing and stack-flue and a regulable closure for said conduit or ue.

I claim as my inventionl. In a regenerative furnace, the combination of air and gas conduits each leading throughchecker-work,reversing-valvesin said conduits, a flue below the conduits communicating therewith and with the stack, and valves between the aforesaid valves and said flue regulable to effect the passage of the major portion of the products of combustion through the air-conduit.

2. In a regenerative furnace, the combination of air and gas conduits each leading through checker-work, reversing-valves in said conduits, a flue below the conduits oommunicating with the stack and into which said conduits open, a valve between the reversingvalve of one of the conduits and said Hue, and a valve controlling the other conduit, said valves being regulable to effect the passage of the major portion of the products of combustion through the air-conduit.

the air and gas conduits separately communicate, a flue into which the open lower ends of the casings extend, and a valve at the lower end of one of said casings carrying a gate, said valve and gate being movable to alternately control said casing and the flue between the casings.

4. In a regenerative furnace and in combination with the butterfly-valve casings with which the air and gas conduits separately communicate, a flue into which the open lower ends of the casings extend, a seal-valve movable to control the lower end of the gas-casing and a gate-valve carried by the seal-valve and movable therewith to control the iiue between the casings.

5. In a regenerative furnace, a butterflyvalve casing in communication with the gassupply, a conduit leading from the casing to the stack-flue, a valve for controlling said conduit, and a gas-vent at said conduit.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL GROH. Witnesses:

JAMES H. MANsFIELD, JAMES R. MANSFIELD.' 

